Aircraft with a plurality of upper and lower cabins functioning as cargo compartments or passenger cabins and method of loading cargos for aircraft

ABSTRACT

This invention is distinguished by the following configuration. The aircraft with multi-level cabins functioning as a cargo cabin or passenger cabin, comprises a first cabin provided with a cargo hatchway which is opened and closed by a cargo door on a fuselage, the cargo door facing towards the cargo cabin; a second cabin which lacks the cargo hatchway, the second cabin being positioned directly above or under the first cabin; and an elevator to convey a cargo item, moved into the first cabin through the cargo hatchway, to the second cabin, and to convey back the conveyed cargo item from the second cabin to the first cabin, thereby the cargo item is moved between the exterior of the aircraft and the second cabin.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] This invention relates to an airplane with multi-level cabins forcargos or passengers in its fuselage, into which it is easier to loadcargos, and a method of loading cargos into those cabins.

TECHNICAL BACKGROUND

[0002]FIG. 25 is a simplified perspective drawing of the cargo cabininto which cargo is loaded in an airplane. FIG. 26 is a lateral crosssection (taken perpendicular to the length of the plane) of the cargocabin. In FIG. 25, 1 is a fuselage of the aircraft; 2 are main wings;and 3 is tail wings.

[0003] As can be seen in FIG. 26, this sort of cargo cabin is dividedinto an upper cargo cabin 10 and a lower cargo cabin 11 by a partition14 which runs along the length of the fuselage. The upper and lowercargo cabins 10 and 11 have cargo hatchways 023 and 23 respectively,which are opened and closed by cargo doors 012 and 12. Normally, as canbe seen in FIG. 26, the cargo cabin has one cargo hatchway 023 in eitherthe fore or aft section of the craft and two cargo hatchways 23, one inthe fore section and the other in the aft section.

[0004] Cargo door 12 and cargo hatchways 23 are normally used to loadcargo belonging to passengers and cargo for commercial transportation.

[0005] To load cargo item 13 into such a cargo cabin, it is firsttransported through hatchway 023 into the upper cargo cabin 10. Aconveyor (not pictured) which extends along the entire length of theupper cabin floor 28 moves the cargo item to its designated location inupper cargo cabin 10. A cargo item is also transported through hatchway23 into the lower cargo cabin 11 and transported by a conveyor (notpictured) running along the length of the lower cabin floor 19 to itsdesignated spot in lower cabin 11. When the cargo is to be unloaded, thereverse operation is performed.

[0006] As is explained above, the prior art cargo cabin has an uppercargo cabin 10 and a lower cargo cabin 11, each of which has a cargohatchway (023 and 23) opened and closed by a cargo door (012 and 12).Cargo is loaded and unloaded through these cargo hatchways.

[0007] However, the cargo doors (012 and 12) which close the cargohatchways (023 and 23) must be of the same thickness and made of thesame material as fuselage 1 so that they have the same strength as thefuselage having no cut for hatchways. The doors must therefore beextremely massive. And since there are large pressure and temperaturedifferentials between the inside and the outside of the aircraft, theareas between the doors (012 and 12) and the cargo hatchways (023 and23) must be rigorously sealed. Thus installing a cargo door (012 or 12)to close a hatchway (023 or 23) requires numerous assembly processes andcostly materials.

[0008] The prior art technology shown in FIGS. 25 and 26, then, requiresthat the sort of cargo hatch doors described above (012 and 12), whichentail numerous assembly processes and costly materials, be installed onthe cargo hatchways (023 and 23) of the upper cargo cabin 10 and lowercargo cabin 11. This drives up the cost of the aircraft, or, in the caseof a passenger aircraft which is being converted into a cargo aircraft,increases the number of processes required and the cost of remodelingthe plane.

[0009] The present inventors' investigation of the prior art has notturned up any technology concerning the relationship between the cargodoors (012 and 12) and cargo cabins 10 and 11.

[0010]FIG. 24 is a partial cross plain section of an aircraft accordingto the prior art. The galley service spaces 505, 506 are provided at thefore section of fuselage 500, in which the flight attendants serve thedrink service for the passengers seated ahead of main wing 525. Anothergalley service space 507 is provided at the aft section. Since the drinkservice is offered after the aircraft takes off, the drink will beconsumed before the arrival at the destination. It is necessary,therefore, to exchange the new wagons loaded with drinks during the timethat the aircraft is parking at the destination airport. The new sets ofwagons provided from galley service car 503 must be carried into theaircraft via the emergency door provided on the same floor as thepassenger cabin floor.

[0011] It is, however, not possible to exchange to the new sets ofwagons during the time that the passengers are deplaning from theaircraft, and it is possible only after the deplaning of the passengersis completed. This drives the parking period of the aircraft longer, andmakes it difficult to schedule many flights in a limited time length.This fact also makes the passenger's waiting time longer, and causesdamages for the profitability of the airline companies for theconvenience of the passengers.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0012] In view of the technical problems described, the objective ofthis invention is to provide a device and method to load cargo into anaircraft of the sort with multi-level cargo or passenger cabins in thefuselage. Such a device would, without diminishing the capacity to loador unload cargo on either level, reduce the number of cargo hatchwaysand doors through which cargo would be loaded and unloaded and furtherreduce the cost of the aircraft. If a passenger aircraft is beingremodeled into a cargo aircraft, it will obviate the need to provideadditional hatchways and doors beyond the hatchways and doors the craftoriginally came with, and it will greatly reduce the number of processesrequired and the cost of revamping the craft.

[0013] Since the beverage and food service is offered after the aircrafttakes off, the beverages will be consumed before the arrival at thedestination. It is necessary, therefore, to exchange the new beveragewagons loaded with the drinks during the time that the aircraft isparked at the destination airport.

[0014] Another objective of this invention is to provide a device andmethod to load the new set of beverage and food wagons, as mentionedabove, into the aircraft without the necessity of moving the new set ofwagons on the same floor as the passenger floor. According to thisinvention, the loading the new set of wagons can be processed during thetime that the passengers are deplaning from the aircraft. It can shortenthe parking time of the aircraft on the ground, and make it possible toschedule more flights in a limited time. This can result in shorteningthe waiting time for the passengers, and result in improving theprofitability of the airline companies and convenience of the passenger.

[0015] According to this invention, the aircraft is provided withmulti-level cabins functioning as a cargo cabin or passenger cabin. Itis distinguished by the configuration which comprises, a first cabinprovided with a cargo hatchway which is opened and closed by a cargodoor on a fuselage, said cargo door facing towards said cargo cabin; asecond cabin which lacks the cargo hatchway, the second cabin beingpositioned directly above or under the first cabin; and an elevator toconvey a cargo item, moved into the first cabin through the cargohatchway, to the second cabin, and to convey back the conveyed cargoitem from the second cabin to the first cabin, thereby the cargo item ismoved between the exterior of the aircraft and the second cabin.

[0016] It is, therefore, possible in this aircraft according to thisinvention, to move the cargo items into and from the aircraft throughthe existing cargo hatchway (hatchway used only for cargos). Since theelevator can move the cargo items between the first cabin provided witha cargo hatchway which is opened and closed by a cargo door on afuselage, and the second cabin which lacks said cargo hatchway, itobviates the need to provide a new cargo hatch way which lowers thestrength of the fuselage. The number of cargo hatchways and doors can bereduced without affecting the ability to load and unload cargo on everylevel. This arrangement lowers the cost of the aircraft.

[0017] When a passenger aircraft is being converted to a cargo aircraft,this arrangement makes it unnecessary to add on any new hatchways anddoors beyond what the plane originally had. This significantly reducesboth the number of processes required to remodel the plane and the costof remodeling it.

[0018] According to this invention, it is possible to move up the cargointo the cabin for the passengers by the elevator, and move down thecargo from the passenger cabin to the cargo cabin which has the cargohatchway. This makes it possible to move the cargo without using thepassenger floor when they are boarding or deplaning.

[0019] The first cabin provided with the cargo hatchway is located in alower cargo cabin on a lower portion of the aircraft, and the elevatorto convey the cargo items between the first cabin and the second cabinlocated above the first cabin is located near the cargo hatchway.

[0020] If the aircraft has three vertical levels of cabins whichcomprise a lower cargo cabin, a central cargo cabin, and an upper cargocabin, the lower and central cargo cabins are configured as the firstcabin which is provided with the cargo hatchway, the upper cargo cabinis configured as the second cabin which lacks the cargo hatchway, andthe elevator conveys the cargo items between the first and secondcabins.

[0021] More specifically, this invention would provide a cargo hatchwayclosed by a door only on the lower level cargo cabin. Thus cargo couldbe loaded onto the plane through the cargo hatchway and then transportedvertically by means of an elevator from the hatchway on the lower levelto the upper level cargo cabin. This would obviate the need to providehatchways with doors on them, as was done in the prior art, on both theupper and lower cargo cabins. The cargo to be stowed in both the lowerand upper cargo cabins could be loaded through a single cargo hatchwayand unloaded through the same hatchway.

[0022] This invention reduces the height above the ground at which cargois loaded onto the plane. This lowers the cost of the cargo loader andenhances the safety of the personnel who are loading the cargo.

[0023] With this invention, then, an aircraft can have a single door ora minimum number of doors to open and close cargo hatchways. These doorsmust be the same thickness and made of the same material as thefuselage, so they are extremely massive. They must also be rigorouslysealed. Reducing the number of doors thus reduces the number of assemblyprocesses required to produce the aircraft and significantly reduces itscost.

[0024] When a passenger aircraft is converted to a cargo aircraft, theexisting cargo hatchway and door on the lower cargo cabin can be used.An elevator can be provided near the hatchway or elsewhere in the cabinon the lower level, and the cargo loaded through the existing cargohatchway can be moved vertically by means of the elevator. It can thusbe easily transported to the upper cargo cabin, so there is no need toprovide an additional hatchway with a door. This reduces both the numberof processes required to remodel the plane and the cost.

[0025] The aircraft according to this invention has a multi-level cargocabin. The horizontal conveyor should also be provided in each of thecargo cabins which communicates with the elevator so as to receive orload cargo. Such a conveyor would receive the cargo moved by theelevator and convey it horizontally into the cabin on that level.

[0026] If the cargo cabins are large, cargo hatchways can be provided inseveral locations on the cargo cabin wall, and an elevator can beprovided near each of the hatchways. If this configuration is chosen,cargo can be loaded and unloaded through a number of hatchways along thelength of the fuselage. This will improve the efficiency of the loadingoperation.

[0027] The elevator can comprise a cargo stage for loading the cargoitem; an expansion link connected to the bottom of the cargo stage whichcan expand vertically; and an actuator to expand or contract theexpansion link so as to move the cargo stage up or down. Alternativelythe elevator can comprise a cargo stage for loading the cargo item; aplurality of ropes connected to the cargo stage and a plurality ofpulleys from which the rope is hung, which raise and lower the cargostage; and a drive mechanism connected to the ropes, which raises andlowers the cargo stage by winding up or letting out the ropes.

[0028] If the latter configuration is chosen, a rope is connected to thestage on which the cargo is loaded, and the rope is connected via apulley to a drive mechanism. The drive mechanism takes up or lets outthe rope to raise or lower the loading stage. This configuration allowsthe stage to be raised easily to a considerable height, so it wouldobviate the need for a cargo hatchway on each level even if an air cargoplane had three or more levels. It would minimize the number ofhatchways and doors, and would further reduce the number of assemblyprocesses required to build the plane as well as its cost.

[0029] The invention could also be effectively realized by the followingconfiguration. The cargo cabin is divided by a plurality of horizontalpartitions, and the elevator comprises a driving device to drive theelevator and a gear to be driven by the driving device; and a guiderail, and racks provided on the guide rail and interlocked with thegears, which are stored in the partition and come out in a verticaldirection before the elevator is activated.

[0030] With the technology described above, a drive source and gearsconnected to the drive source are provided on the elevator. The cargocabin is divided by partitions. In the walls of the partitions is aguide mechanism which guides the movement of the elevator and racksinterlocked with the gears. Before the elevator is driven, the mechanismwhich guides the elevator and the hardware related to moving the gearsand the interlocked racks move into the area traveled by the elevator.When the elevator is not being driven, the hardware related to itsmovement is stored in the partition walls rather than remaining in thecargo cabin. This enhances the safety of any personnel working in thearea.

[0031] The invention could also be effectively realized by the followingconfiguration. The galley service space is provided in the second cabinused as a passenger cabin, and the elevator conveys a wagon containerfilled with wagon cargos between the galley service space and the firstcabin, so that the wagon cargos are moved in and out from the wagoncontainer in the galley service space, and the wagon container isconveyed between the exterior of the aircraft and the galley servicespace.

[0032] With the technology described above, the configuration makes itpossible to move the wagons through the cargo hatchway provided in thecargo cabin. It can move the wagons to the galley service space in thesecond cabin by the elevator. It is no longer necessary to move thewagons on the passenger floor as in the prior art. It is, thus, possibleto deliver the wagons during the time that the passengers are gettingoff the aircraft. It is, therefore, no longer necessary to exchange thenew and old wagons after the passengers leave the aircraft as aconventional way, and it can be processed during the time passengers aregetting off the aircraft. This can shorten the parking time of theaircraft, and more flights can be scheduled in the same length of time.This can shorten the waiting time of the passengers, and also improvethe profitability of the airlines and convenience of the passengers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0033]FIG. 1 is a lateral view of the main components of a cargo loadingdevice to load cargos into a cargo plane which is the first preferredembodiment of this invention.

[0034]FIG. 2 is a cross section taken along line A-A in FIG. 1.

[0035]FIG. 3(a) is a perspective drawing of the elevator. FIG. 3(b) is across section taken along line C-C shown in FIG. 3(a).

[0036]FIG. 4 shows the second embodiment which corresponds to the cargoloading device shown in FIG. 1.

[0037]FIG. 5 is a cross section showing the main components along thelongitudinal axis of the plane of the third preferred embodiment.

[0038]FIG. 6 is a cross section taken along line B-B shown in FIG. 5.

[0039]FIG. 7 is a rough perspective drawing of an aircraft to transportair cargo, which is related to the fourth preferred embodiment.

[0040]FIG. 8 is a cross section taken along line D-D shown in FIG. 7.

[0041]FIG. 9 is a first perspective drawing of an elevator related tothe fourth preferred embodiment.

[0042]FIG. 10 is a second perspective drawing of an elevator related tothe fourth preferred embodiment.

[0043]FIG. 11 is a third perspective drawing of an elevator related tothe fourth preferred embodiment.

[0044]FIG. 12 is a fourth perspective drawing of an elevator related tothe fourth preferred embodiment.

[0045]FIG. 13 is a fifth perspective drawing of an elevator related tothe fourth preferred embodiment.

[0046]FIG. 14 is an illustration to explain the mechanism to open andclose the retractable floor according to the fourth preferredembodiment.

[0047]FIG. 15 is an illustration to explain the connecting memberprovided at the bottom of the guide rail according to the fourthpreferred embodiment.

[0048]FIG. 16 is an illustration to explain how to store the guide railaccording to the fourth preferred embodiment.

[0049]FIG. 17 is an illustration to explain the main components of theguide rail according to the fourth preferred embodiment.

[0050]FIG. 18 is an illustration to explain how to store and descend theguide rail according to the fourth preferred embodiment.

[0051]FIG. 19 is a first illustration to explain the driving method forthe elevator according to the fourth preferred embodiment.

[0052]FIG. 20 is a second illustration to explain the driving method forthe elevator according to the fourth preferred embodiment.

[0053]FIG. 21 is a third illustration to explain the driving method forthe elevator according to the fourth preferred embodiment.

[0054]FIG. 22 is a rough cross section of the aircraft according to thefifth preferred embodiment.

[0055]FIG. 23 is a perspective drawing of the elevator according to thefifth preferred embodiment.

[0056]FIG. 24 is a partial cross plain section of an aircraft accordingto the prior art.

[0057]FIG. 25 is a rough perspective drawing of a cargo aircraftaccording to the prior art.

[0058]FIG. 26 is a cross section of a cargo aircraft according to theprior art.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0059] In this section we shall explain several preferred embodiments ofthis invention with reference to the appended drawings. Whenever thesize, materials, shapes, relative positions and other aspects of theparts described in the embodiments are not clearly defined, the scope ofthe invention is not limited only to the parts shown, which are meantmerely for the purpose of illustration.

[0060]FIG. 1 is a lateral view of the main components of a cargo loadingdevice to load cargos into a cargo plane which is the first preferredembodiment of this invention. FIG. 2 is a cross section taken along lineA-A in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a perspective drawing of the elevator. FIG. 4shows the second embodiment in an illustration which corresponds to thatshown in FIG. 1. FIG. 5 is a cross section showing the main componentsalong the longitudinal axis of the plane of the third preferredembodiment. FIG. 6 is a cross section taken along line B-B shown in FIG.5.

[0061] In FIGS. 1 and 2, which show the first embodiment of thisinvention, 1 is a fuselage. The interior of the fuselage 1 is dividedinto an upper cargo cabin 10 and a lower cargo cabin 11 by a partition14 which runs along the length of the plane. 23 is a lower cargohatchway into the lower cargo cabin 11. 12 is a cargo door which closesthe lower cargo hatchway 23. As can be seen in FIG. 1, only one lowercargo hatchway 23 and cargo door 12 are provided on the forward sectionof the plane.

[0062]24 is a hatch provided in one location (or, as will be discussedshortly, in two or more locations) in the partition 14. This hatchallows the lower cargo cabin 11 and upper cargo cabin 10 to communicatein one, or as will be discussed shortly, two or more locations. Belowthe hatch 24 is an elevator 15. The elevator 15 transports cargo item13, which has been loaded into the lower cargo cabin 11, vertically upto upper cargo cabin 10. We shall explain this elevator in detailshortly.

[0063]17 is a lower cabin conveyor which runs along the length of thefuselage on lower cabin floor 19 of the lower cargo cabin 11. It isadjacent to the lower cargo hatchway 23 on the lower level. The frontend of the conveyor is adjacent to the elevator 15 so that the cargo 13conveyed from lower cargo hatchway 23 can be deposited on elevator 15.

[0064]16 is a upper cabin conveyor which runs along the length of thefuselage on upper cabin floor 28 of the upper cargo cabin 10. The frontend of the upper cabin conveyor is adjacent to hatch 24, the opening forthe elevator 15. The upper cabin conveyor 16 receives cargo 13 conveyedby elevator 15 and transports it into the interior of upper cargo cabin10.

[0065] In FIGS. 3 (a) and (b), which show the first example of theelevator 15, 152 is a cargo stage on which cargo is loaded. 153 and 153are two pairs of cross-links. Each pair of cross-links has a pin 155fastening the centers of the two links in such a way that they are freeto rotate and slide.

[0066] The upper ends of the cross-links 153 are fixed to the lateralsurfaces 252 of the cargo stage 152 by pins 154 in such a way that theyare free to rotate.

[0067] The lower ends of the cross-links 153 are attached to rollers 255by pins 154 in such a way that they are free to rotate. Rollers 255 runon rails 260, which are oriented either lengthwise or crosswise on floor262 of the lower cargo cabin 11. They allow the elevator 15 to movelengthwise in lower cargo cabin 11.

[0068] As can be seen in FIG. 3 (b), pins 154 are inserted through holes153 a on the tops of the cross-links 153 in such a way that they canmove and slide. Rollers 161 engage with the bases of the pins 154 insuch a way that they are free to rotate. The rollers 161 roll in tracks160, which run parallel to the rails 260 on either side of the cargostage 152. When hydraulic cylinder 151, which will be discussed shortly,expands and contracts, the cargo stage 152 moves up and down, and therollers 161 run along track 160. 162 and 163 are snap rings to preventthe rollers from leaving the tracks.

[0069]156 are cross bars. They are connected to the lower ends of thecross-links 153 by pins 157 in such a way that they are free to rotateand move. They connect the bottoms of the cross-links 153. 151 is ahydraulic cylinder. It connects the cross bars 156 in such a way that itcan expand or contract. On the bottom of the case of the hydrauliccylinder 151 is a fixing means of fixing the cylinder to the floor whenelevator 15 is in use. This fixing means may be a magnet, a suction cupor a bolt. A pneumatic cylinder or an electric actuator may be usedinstead of the hydraulic cylinder 151.

[0070] In the first embodiment, when cargo item 13 is loaded into theplane, the cargo item 13 is transported, as shown by the arrows in FIG.2, from lower cargo hatchway 23 onto lower cabin conveyor 17 in thelower cargo cabin. The lower cabin conveyor 17 is driven, and the cargoitem moves horizontally as indicated by the arrow in FIG. 1 until itreaches the location of the elevator 15.

[0071] To lower the elevator 15 at this time, hydraulic cylinder 151 isexpanded, and the cross-links 153 fold in, thus moving the cargo stage152 downward. The upper surface of the cargo stage 152 is thuspositioned at the same height as the lower cabin conveyor 17. Thisallows the cargo item 13 on the lower cabin conveyor 17 to be loadedeasily onto the cargo stage 152.

[0072] When the hydraulic cylinder 151 contracts, the cross-links 153extend upward, the cargo stage 152 is raised, and the upper surface ofthe cargo stage 152 stops at the same height as the upper cabin conveyor16 in the upper cargo cabin. The cargo item 13 on the cargo stage 152can thus be easily loaded, as indicated by the arrow in FIG. 1, onto theupper cabin conveyor 16 in the upper cargo cabin.

[0073] The elevator 15 can move along the length of lower cargo cabin 11along the rails 260.

[0074] When the cargo item 13 which is conveyed from the cargo hatchway23 onto the edge of lower cabin conveyor 17 in the lower cargo cabin isto be moved into the lower cargo cabin, the lower cabin conveyor 17 onwhich it is sitting is driven to move cargo item 13 horizontally to itsdesignated position.

[0075] With this embodiment, a cargo hatchway (lower cargo hatchway 23)is provided only in lower cargo cabin 11 on the lower portion offuselage 1. Cargo item 13 is transported from the cargo hatchway 23 intothe plane and then up to the upper cargo cabin (upper cargo cabin 10) bythe vertical movement of elevator 15. This arrangement obviates the needfor a cargo hatch with a cargo door in both lower and upper cargo cabins11 and 10, as was the case in the prior art. Cargo items 13 to betransported in both lower cargo cabin 11 and upper cargo cabin 10 can beloaded and unloaded via a single cargo hatchway 23 and cargo door 12.

[0076] With this embodiment, then, the aircraft needs only a single or aminimum number of cargo doors 12 to close cargo hatchways 23. Sincethese doors must be of an identical thickness with fuselage 1 andconstructed of the same materials, they are extremely massive; and theymust be rigorously sealed. Reducing the number of doors thussignificantly reduces both the number of assembly processes required toconstruct the aircraft and the cost of the required materials.

[0077] When a passenger aircraft is converted to a cargo aircraft, theexisting cargo hatchway and door into lower cargo cabin 11 can be used.The elevator 15 can be installed near the hatchway, and the cargo itemloaded through the existing cargo hatchway can be moved vertically bymeans of the elevator 15. It can thus be easily transported to uppercargo cabin 10, so there is no need to provide an additional hatchwaywith a door. This reduces both the number of processes required toremodel the plane and the cost.

[0078] We shall next discuss the second preferred embodiment of thisinvention, which is pictured in FIG. 4. This embodiment differs from thefirst in that instead of having a single elevator 15 in the forwardsection of the aircraft, it has elevators 15 in both the forward and aftsections of the aircraft. As can be seen in FIG. 4, there are cargohatchways 23 and cargo doors 12 in two locations, forward and aft, onlower cargo cabin 11. There is an elevator 15 adjacent to each of thecargo hatchways 23 and cargo doors 12. Between the two aforesaidelevators 15 in both lower cargo cabin 11 and upper cargo cabin 10 areconveyors 17 in the upper cabin and 16 in the lower cabin.

[0079] If this configuration is chosen, cargo items 13 can be loaded andunloaded through two hatchways 23 in the fore and aft sections of theplane. This will improve the efficiency of the loading operation. Allother aspects of the configuration are identical to those of the firstembodiment.

[0080] We shall next discuss the third preferred embodiment of thisinvention, with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6. This embodiment differs fromthe first and second embodiments in regard to the elevator. Rather thanbeing driven by cross-links and a hydraulic mechanism, as in the firstand second embodiments, the elevator in the third embodiment is drivenby a motor and a rope.

[0081] In FIGS. 5 and 6, a central cargo cabin 21 is created byhorizontal partitions 14, 14 between lower cabin 11 and upper cabin 10.20 is a elevator which travels between lower, central, upper cargocabins 11, 21 and 10. It is constructed as follows.

[0082] In FIGS. 5 and 6, 201 is the cargo stage on which cargo item 13is loaded. In four locations on its edges (or five or more, if desired)are pulleys 202, which are mounted in such a way that they can rotate.On pulleys 202 are hung ropes 204 and 205 (or more ropes, as long as thenumber is even), which move up and down through hatches 24 and 25 cutinto horizontal partitions 14.

[0083]203 are pulleys which are mounted in four places on the ceiling ofthe upper cargo cabin 10 in such a way that they are free to rotate.These pulleys are mounted opposite pulleys 202 on the cargo stage 201.The ropes 204 and 205 are hung from the pulleys 202. 206 are the twoelevators provided in the fore and aft sections of the fuselage. Theends of ropes 204 and 205, which are hung on the pulleys 203, are coiledup by means of an electric motor or the like. When the ropes 204 and 205are wound up or let out, the cargo stage 201 is raised or lowered in theplane.

[0084] In this embodiment, in addition to lower cargo hatchway 23 andlower cargo door 12 on the lower cargo cabin 11, there is a centralcargo hatchway 22 and a central cargo door on the center level, in thecentral cargo cabin 21. However, the central cargo hatchway 22 andcentral cargo door could be eliminated.

[0085] In this embodiment, when ropes 204 and 205 are let out from theelevator mechanisms 206, 206, the cargo stage 201 drops to its lowestposition. The cargo item 13 which is loaded into lower cargo cabin 11through lower cargo hatchway 23 is placed on the stage 201

[0086] When ropes 204 and 205 are wound up by the elevator mechanisms206, 206, cargo stage 201, with cargo item 13 on it, is raised as shownby the arrows in FIG. 6. When the cargo stage 201 reaches the centralcabin floor 26 of central cargo cabin 21, cargo item 13 is moved ontocentral cabin conveyor 18 on central cabin floor 26 and transported toits designated location. When the cargo stage 201 reaches the uppercabin floor 28 of upper cargo cabin 11, cargo item 13 is moved ontoupper conveyor 16 on upper cabin floor 28 and transported to itsdesignated location.

[0087] A cargo item 13 loaded into central cargo cabin 21 via thecentral cargo hatchway 22 can be placed on the cargo stage 201 andtransported in just the same manner.

[0088] With this embodiment, ropes 204 and 205 are connected to thecargo stage 201 on which is placed cargo item 13. The ropes 204 and 205are connected via pulleys 202 and 203 to elevator mechanisms 206, which,by winding them up or letting them out, causes the cargo stage 201 to beraised or lowered. This configuration allows the cargo stage to attain aconsiderable vertical height with ease, so that it can service not justthree levels of cargo cabins, as in this embodiment, but four or more,thus obviating the need for a cargo hatchway on each level. Thisminimizes the number of cargo hatchways and doors required, which inturn further reduces both the number of assembly processes needed toconstruct the aircraft and the cost of materials.

[0089] In any of the embodiments, the cargo is unloaded from the planeusing the reverse operation from that described above.

[0090] With an embodiment like that described above, a cargo item isloaded into the upper cargo cabin from the lower cargo hatchway on thelower level by means of an elevator. There is thus no need for cargohatchways closed by doors on both the upper and lower cargo cabins, aswas the case in the prior art. Cargo to be carried in both the lower andupper cabins can be loaded and unloaded through a single cargo hatchway.

[0091] With this invention, then, an aircraft can have a single door ora minimum number of doors to open and close cargo hatchways. These doorsmust be the same thickness and made of the same material as thefuselage, so they are extremely massive. They must also be rigorouslysealed. Reducing the number of doors thus reduces the number of assemblyprocesses required to produce the aircraft and significantly reduces itscost.

[0092] When a passenger aircraft is converted to a cargo aircraft, theexisting cargo hatchway and door into the lower cargo cabin can be used.The elevator can be provided near the hatchway, and the cargo loadedthrough the existing cargo hatchway can be moved vertically by means ofthe elevator. It can thus be easily transported to the upper cargocabin, so there is no need to provide an additional hatchway with adoor. This reduces both the number of processes required to remodel theplane and the cost.

[0093] With this embodiment, then, the number of cargo hatchways anddoors can be reduced without adversely affecting the ability to load andunload cargo into and out of any of the cargo cabins. This reduces thecost of the plane, or, if a passenger plane is being converted to acargo plane, it reduces the number of processes required and the cost.

[0094] If several cargo hatchways are provided along the length of theaircraft, cargo can then be loaded and unloaded through all of them,resulting in a more efficient cargo loading operation.

[0095] If ropes are connected to the cargo stage on which the cargo isplaced and the ropes are connected through pulleys to a drive mechanism,the drive mechanism can wind or let out the rope to cause the cargostage to be raised or lowered. This configuration allows the stage toattain a considerable vertical height with ease, so that a cargohatchway need not be provided on each level, even if a plane has threeor more cargo cabins. This configuration minimizes the number of cargohatchways and doors required, which in turn further reduces both thenumber of assembly processes needed to construct the aircraft and thecost of materials. Furthermore, the highest level of cargo cabins in acargo airplane with three levels will generally be about 10 meters offthe ground. If the cargo is loaded into the middle level cargo cabinfrom the exterior and then transferred to the upper level by elevator,the safety of the workers doing the loading will be enhanced.

[0096] We shall next discuss the fourth preferred embodiment. FIG. 7 isa rough perspective drawing of an aircraft to transport air cargo, whichis related to the fourth preferred embodiment. This embodiment differsfrom the first through third embodiments as follows. The first andsecond embodiments have an elevator which comprises a cargo stage,cross-links and a hydraulic mechanism. The third embodiment's elevatoruses a motor and ropes. The fourth embodiment's elevator has a guiderail, racks, and gears which engage with the racks.

[0097] In FIG. 7, there is a central cargo hatchway 322 in the aftsection of fuselage 301. A cargo door 312 which can open and close isplaced on the central cargo hatchway 322. There is a lower horizontalpartition 347 inside the plane. A lower cargo conveyor 318 on thepartition conveys containers 313, which have been loaded via centralcargo hatchway 322, to the fore section of the plane. Above lowerhorizontal partition 347 in the forward part of the plane is an upperhorizontal partition 348, which creates cargo cabin 310. At the forwardend of the upper horizontal partition 348 are elevator 315 and aconveyor, which is not pictured. The containers 313 which have beentransported on the conveyor are placed on upper cabin floor 328 of upperhorizontal partition 348.

[0098]FIG. 8 (a) shows how the elevator 315 looks when containers 313are stowed in upper cargo cabin 310 and the plane is in flight. FIG. 8(b) shows how the elevator is positioned when containers 313 are to beloaded into cargo cabin 310 or unloaded from it. On the floor ofelevator 315, there is a drive source 303 with a motor, as will beexplained in detail shortly, to enable it to move vertically.

[0099] When containers 313 are to be transported from upper cargo cabin310 to central cargo cabin 321, as is shown in FIG. 8 (b), retractablefloor 305 opens up. Guide rails 304, which are stored in upperhorizontal partition 348, come out, and their forward ends lock intolower horizontal partition 347 in a manner which will be explainedshortly. Racks which are attached to guide rail 304 and gears which arenot pictured engage, and elevator 315 descends. FIG. 8 (c) shows theelevator once it has landed on the level of central cargo cabin 321.

[0100]FIG. 9 is a perspective drawing of an elevator related to thefourth preferred embodiment. In this figure, there is a square opening328 a in the upper cabin floor 328 of upper horizontal partition 348.Elevator 315 goes through the opening 328 a.

[0101] The mechanism which raises and lowers elevator 315 is locatedaround the edges of opening 328 a. One support rod 314 is held in such away that it can rotate by support members 308 a, 309, 309 and 308 b. Theother support rod 314 is held in such a way that it can rotate bysupport members 308 c, 309, 309 and 308 d. In the centers of rods 309are actuators 338 (See FIG. 18), which will be discussed shortly. Thesupport rods 314 face each other on opposite sides of opening 328 a.

[0102] Four rack heads 334 a are hung on the support rods 314 inlocations which correspond to the corners of opening 328 a. The supportrods 314 engage in the openings of rack heads 334 a in such a way thatthey are free to rotate.

[0103] Elevator 315 is placed in the opening 328 a. On three edges ofits floor 315 a are two walls 315 b and one wall 315 c. Gear supports323, 323 are behind walls 315 b. Gear shafts 316 (See FIG. 17) engage inthe ends 323 a of the gear supports 323 in such a way that they are freeto rotate. Sprockets 319 are fixed to one end of the gear shafts 316.Elevator gears 317 are fixed to the shafts parallel to the sprockets319. Motor 306 and reduction gear unit 307 (see FIG. 21) are behind wall315 c, as will be discussed shortly. The drive force of motor 306 istransmitted from the output gear (not pictured) of gear unit 307 bymeans of chain 320, which is tensioned on sprockets 319, to thesprockets, and then to elevator gears 317. When elevator gears 317rotate, they engage with racks which is not shown in the drawing,causing the elevator to descend.

[0104]FIG. 10 shows the appearance of retractable floor 305 on centralcabin floor 326 of central cargo cabin 321 (See FIG. 8) when it isopened so that elevator 315 can descend. FIG. 11 shows the appearance ofthe central cargo cabin after retractable floor 305 has been opened andthe upper ends of guide rails 304, which are stored below elevator 315,have rotated downward so that they can lock into lower horizontalpartition 347, which forms the central cabin floor 326 of central cargocabin 321 (See FIG. 8). Once the guide rails are in place, elevator 315can descend to central cabin floor 326 of central cargo cabin 321 (SeeFIG. 8).

[0105]FIG. 12 shows the appearance of the elevator when containers 313are placed on central cabin floor 326 of central cargo cabin 321 (SeeFIG. 8). In this state, as is shown in FIG. 13, containers 313 arecarried to upper cargo cabin 310 (See FIG. 8).

[0106] We shall next explain the details of each mechanical component.FIG. 14 is a close-up view of portion C in FIG. 8 (b). It shows the baseof retractable floor 305, which is placed on central cabin floor 326 ofcentral cargo cabin 321 (See FIG. 8) in such a way that it can open andclose. In FIG. 14, hinges 329 are attached to central cabin floor 326.One end of stage 325, to which retractable floor 305 is mounted, isfixed to the movable portions of the hinges 329. Connecting unit 324 isattached to the stage 325. Lever 330 is mounted below central cabinfloor 326 in such a way that it is free to rotate around shaft 330 a. Aconnector panel, which is not pictured, is placed between opening 330 bon the end of the lever 330 and opening 324 a in the connector unit 324.A motor, which is not shown, is connected to shaft 330 a of lever 330.

[0107] Because the mechanism to open and close retractable floor 305 isconstructed in this way, when lever 330 is in the position indicated bysolid lines, retractable floor 305 will be parallel to central cabinfloor 326, and the opening through which elevator 315 travels will besealed. When lever 330 rotates clockwise until it reaches the positionindicated by dotted lines, retractable floor 305 will open up to createa passageway for elevator 315.

[0108]FIG. 15 is a close-up view of portion C in FIG. 8 (b). Afterretractable floor 305 opens up, the ends of guide rails 304 lock intolower horizontal partition 347, which forms central cabin floor 326 incentral cargo cabin 321 (See FIG. 8). Snap rings 332 are mounted on thelower horizontal partition 347 in such a way that they can rotate. Pins304 a go into the lower ends of guide rails 304. The pins 304 a, whichhave rotated from the upper left hand portion of FIG. 15, arecomplemented by snap rings 332. At this time a mechanism which is notshown rotates snap rings 332 90° either electrically or mechanically toa position in which they are locked.

[0109] When motor 306 shown in FIG. 21 causes elevator gears 317, whichengages with racks 331, to rotate, elevator 315 descends to the positionshown in the drawing.

[0110]FIG. 16 is a close-up view of portion D in FIG. 8 (b). Itillustrates how guide rails 304 and racks 331 appear both when storedand deployed. Support arm 333, which is fixed to support rod 314, has asmall opening 333 a in its end. Connector end 334 b on the lower end ofrack 334, which is suspended from rack head 334 a, has a hole 334 c init. Connector end 336, which rotates around the hole 334 c, is mountedin such a way that it is free to rotate. The connector end 336 is fixedto the end of guide rail 304, which has racks 331.

[0111] The connector end 336 has a hole 336 a in it. Connecting rod 335,which has pins that go through the hole 336 a and hole 333 a on the endof the support arm 333 in such a way that they can rotate, is placedbetween the two holes.

[0112] As can be seen in FIG. 18, one end of actuator 338 is supportedin such a way that it can rotate on mount 339 between support rodreceives 309, 309. On the other end of the actuator is movable rod 338a, which expands and contracts. Support arm 337 is attached to supportrod 314. End pin 337 a of the movable rod 338 a is connected to the endof the support arm 337 so that the support arm can rotate around thepin.

[0113] In FIG. 18, when actuator 338 drives it, the extended movable arm338 a contracts, and support rod 314 rotates clockwise. When support rod314 rotates clockwise in FIG. 16, guide rails 304 and racks 331, whichwere stowed horizontally, rotate clockwise with hole 334 c as theirrotary shaft until they are vertical.

[0114] A detailed view of the gear shaft 316 and gears 317 shown in FIG.9 is presented in FIG. 17. Gears 317 are arranged on gear shaft 316 intwo locations which are a specified distance apart. Racks 331, 331 whichengage with gears 317, 317 are placed in two locations on guide rail304.

[0115]FIG. 21 is an enlarged view of segment E in FIG. 8 (b). Motor 306is placed in drive source 303. Gear unit 307 consists of gear 306 a,which is fixed to the rotary shaft of the motor; intermediate gear 340;and gears 341 and 342. Chains 320, 320 are hung between sprockets 343and 344, which are coaxial with the rotary shafts of gears 341 and 342,and sprockets 319 near the rack.

[0116] The rotary drive force generated by motor 306 is transmitted tosprockets 319, 319 by chains 320. Gear shaft 316 is made to rotate, andelevator gears 317 rotate. When elevator gears 317 descend, elevator 315also descends, and the containers 313 loaded on the elevator descendalong with it.

[0117] As has been explained above, the fourth preferred embodiment hasa drive source and gears connected to the drive source on the elevator.The cargo cabin is divided by partitions, within which are stowed aguide device to drive the elevator and racks which engage with thegears. Before the elevator is driven, the mechanisms related to itsmovement, including the device to guide the elevator and the racks whichengage with the gears, are deployed into the area traveled by theelevator. When the elevator is not in service, the mechanisms are stowedin the partition. There are no mechanical parts in the cargo cabin, sothe personnel can have a safer work environment.

[0118]FIG. 22 and FIG. 23 illustrate the fifth preferred embodiment.FIG. 22 is a rough sketch of cross section of the passenger aircraftaccording to the fifth preferred embodiment, and FIG. 23 is aperspective drawing of the elevator according to the fifth preferredembodiment.

[0119] The interior of the fuselage 400 is divided into a plurality ofcabins, upper passenger cabin 410, lower passenger cabin 421, and cargocabin 411 by the horizontal partitions 414, 415, and 416.

[0120] As shown in FIG. 24, lower passenger cabin 421 is accessiblethrough passenger hatchway 501. Cargo cabin 411 is accessible throughcargo hatchway 423 (cargo entrance) by opening cargo door 412 for bringin and out the cargo.

[0121] On the lower cabin floor 426 of lower passenger cabin 421, thereis a galley service space 419 in which drinks are warmed up and specialfood menus are prepared for the passengers. The galley service space 419is located in the passenger cabin which is accessible by the passengers.The galley service spaces are provided on the lower cabin floor 426 atboth sides of the walkway in the aircraft, which is located at the frontpart of the aircraft.

[0122] In the galley service space 419, there are two open spaces asshown in FIG. 23, the first space is for galley unit 409 at the upperportion of galley partition 407 in which a microwave for heating and arefrigerator are provided, the second space is for wagon containerparking space 417 at the lower portion of galley partition to park thewagon container 401 for wagons, which is elevated up and down.

[0123] The wagon container parking space 417 has an opening on the lowercabin floor 426 through which the cargo cabin 411 is connected. Cargocabin 411 is located under the lower passenger cabin. In wagon containerparking space 417, wagon container 401 can be provided which loads aplurality of wagons 413. Wagon container 401 can be elevated up anddown, and it stops on the floor of cargo cabin 411.

[0124] The following is an explanation of the drive mechanism for wagoncontainer 401. At the 4 corners of upper portion 401 a of wagoncontainer 401, 4 ropes are fixed which are 404 a, 404 b, 404 c and 404d. Near the upper portion 401 a, 4 rollers are provided, roller 402 afor rolling rope 404 a, roller 402 b for rolling rope 404 b, roller 402c for rolling rope 404 c, and roller 402 d for rolling rope 404 d.

[0125] In the upper passenger cabin above the rollers 403 a and 403 b,motor 406 is provided and bobbins 431 a and 431 b are fixed at bothsides of the rotation shaft of motor 406.

[0126] The bobbins 431 a and 431 b have two winding sections to wind upthe two ropes, which are provided side by side. Bobbin 431 a connectswith the ends of rope 404 a and 404 c. Bobbin 431 b connects with theends of rope 404 b and 404 d.

[0127] The other ends of rope 404 a, 404 b, 404 c and 404 d areconnected with the upper corner portions 401 a of wagon container 401via 403 a and 402 a, 403 b and 402 b, 403 a and 402 c, and 403 b and 402d respectively.

[0128] With this configuration, if motor 406 winds up or lets out therope 404, they elevate up or down the wagon container 401 respectively.

[0129] Wagons 413 can be delivered-out from galley service space 419 tocargo cabin 411 by load the wagons into wagon container 401 when it isin the galley service space and lowing the wagon container 401 byreversing the rotation of motor 406 down to the cargo cabin 411. Thewagons 413 are then delivered-out through cargo hatchway 423. It is alsopossible to deliver-in the new wagons 413 loaded with the necessaryitems to galley service space 419 from cargo hatchway 423 by loading thenew wagons in wagon container 401.

[0130] According to the fifth preferred embodiment mentioned above, itis no longer necessary to deliver in and out the wagons 413 from thegalley service space to the exterior of the aircraft through thepassenger floor. It is possible to deliver in and out the wagons 413 bywagon container from the galley service space to the exterior. Since thewagons 413 can be delivered in and out through cargo hatchway 423 ofcargo cabin 411, it is possible to deliver the wagons during the timepassengers are getting off the aircraft. It is, therefore, no longernecessary to exchange the new and old wagons after the passengers leavethe aircraft as a conventional way, and it can be processed during thetime passengers are deplaning. This can shorten the parking time of theaircraft, and more flights can be scheduled in the same length of time.This can shorten the waiting time of the passengers, and also improvethe profitability of the airlines and convenience of the passengers.

EFFECTS OF THE INVENTION

[0131] As mentioned above, the aircraft of this invention provided withmulti-level cabins functioning as a cargo cabin or passenger cabin, isdistinguished by the configuration which comprises, a first cabinprovided with a cargo hatchway which is opened and closed by a cargodoor on a fuselage, said cargo door facing towards said cargo cabin; asecond cabin which lacks the cargo hatchway, the second cabin beingpositioned directly above or under the first cabin; and an elevator toconvey a cargo item, moved into the first cabin through the cargohatchway, to the second cabin, and to convey back the conveyed cargoitem from the second cabin to the first cabin, thereby the cargo item ismoved between the exterior of the aircraft and the second cabin.

[0132] It is, therefore, possible in this aircraft according to thisinvention, to move the cargo items into and from the aircraft throughthe existing cargo hatchway (hatchway used only for cargos). Since theelevator can move the cargo items between the first cabin provided witha cargo hatchway which is opened and closed by a cargo door on afuselage, and the second cabin which lacks said cargo hatchway, itobviates the need to provide a new cargo hatchway which lowers thestrength of the fuselage. The number of cargo hatchways and doors can bereduced without affecting the ability to load and unload cargo on everylevel. This arrangement lowers the cost of the aircraft.

[0133] When a passenger aircraft is being converted to a cargo aircraft,this arrangement makes it unnecessary to add on any new hatchways anddoors beyond what the plane originally had. This significantly reducesboth the number of processes required to remodel the plane and the costof remodeling it.

[0134] More specifically, this invention allows us to provide a cargohatchway closed by a door in the lowest cargo cabin only. Cargo can thenbe loaded into the plane through the cargo hatchway and then movedvertically within the plane to the upper cargo cabins by means of anelevator. This obviates the need to provide cargo hatchways closed bydoors in both the upper and lower cargo cabins, as was the case in theprior art. Cargo to be stowed in both the lower and upper cargo cabinscan be loaded and unloaded via a single cargo hatchway.

[0135] Since cargo doors must be of the same thickness and made of thesame materials as the fuselage, they are extremely massive. They mustalso be rigorously sealed. This invention allows us to reduce the numberof such doors to one or the minimum feasible number, thus reducing thenumber of assembly processes required to construct the plane and thecost of materials. Since in a three-level cargo plane the highest levelwill generally be ten meters off the ground, loading the cargo fromoutside the plane onto the central level and then transferring it byelevator inside the plane will enhance the safety of the personnelemployed in loading the cargo.

[0136] When a passenger aircraft is being converted into a cargoaircraft, the existing cargo hatchway and door into the lower cargocabin can be used. An elevator can be provided near the hatchway orelsewhere in the cabin on the lower level, and the cargo loaded throughthe existing cargo hatchway can be moved vertically by means of theelevator. It can thus be easily transported to the upper cargo cabin, sothere is no need to provide an additional hatchway with a door. Thisreduces both the number of processes required to remodel the plane andthe cost.

[0137] According to this invention, a galley service space is providedin the second cabin used as a passenger cabin, and the elevator conveysa wagon container filled with wagon cargos between the galley servicespace and the first cabin. With this elevator, the wagon cargos aremoved in and out from the wagon container in the galley service space,and the wagon container is conveyed between the exterior of the aircraftand the galley service space. This configuration makes it possible tomove the wagons through the cargo hatchway provided in the cargo cabin.It can move the wagons to the galley service space in the second cabinby the elevator. It is no longer necessary to move the wagons on thepassenger floor as the prior art. It is, thus, possible to deliver thewagons during the time passengers are deplaning. It is, therefore, nolonger necessary to exchange the new and old wagons after the passengersleave the aircraft as a conventional way, and it can be processed duringthe time passengers are deplaning. This can shorten the parking time ofthe aircraft, and more flights can be scheduled in the same length oftime. This can shorten the waiting time of the passengers, and alsoimprove the profitability of the airlines and convenience of thepassengers. Various other effects are also achieved.

1. An aircraft with multi-level cabins functioning as a cargo cabin orpassenger cabin, comprising: a first cabin provided with a cargohatchway which is opened and closed by a cargo door on a fuselage, saidcargo door facing towards said cargo cabin; a second cabin which lackssaid cargo hatchway, said second cabin being positioned directly aboveor under said first cabin; and an elevator to convey a cargo item, movedinto said first cabin through said cargo hatchway, to said second cabin,and to convey back said conveyed cargo item from said second cabin tosaid first cabin, thereby said cargo item is moved between the exteriorof said aircraft and said second cabin.
 2. An aircraft according toclaim 1, wherein said first cabin provided with said cargo hatchway islocated in a lower cargo cabin on a lower portion of said aircraft, andsaid elevator which is located near said hatchway conveys said cargoitem between said first cabin and said second cabin which is locatedabove said first cabin.
 3. An aircraft according to claim 1, whereinsaid aircraft has three vertical levels of cabins which comprise a lowercargo cabin, a central cargo cabin, and an upper cargo cabin, said lowerand central cargo cabins are configured as said first cabin which isprovided with said cargo hatchway, said upper cargo cabin is configuredas said second cabin which lacks said cargo hatchway, and said elevatorconveys said cargo item between said first and second cabins.
 4. Anaircraft according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality ofhorizontal conveyors provided on said multi-level cargo cabins forconveying said cargo item in horizontal direction, which is conveyed bysaid elevator in vertical direction.
 5. An aircraft according to claim1, wherein a plurality of said cargo hatchways are provided in saidfirst cabin, and said elevator is provided near each cargo hatchway. 6.An aircraft according to claim 1, wherein said elevator comprises: acargo stage for loading said cargo item; an expansion link connected tothe bottom of said cargo stage which can expand vertically; and anactuator to expand or contract said expansion link so as to move saidcargo stage up or down.
 7. An aircraft according to claim 1, whereinsaid elevator comprises: a cargo stage for loading said cargo item; aplurality of ropes connected to said cargo stage and a plurality ofpulleys from which said rope is hung, which raise and lower said cargostage; and a drive mechanism connected to said ropes, which raises andlowers said cargo stage by winding up or letting out said ropes.
 8. Anaircraft according to claim 1, wherein said multi-level cabinsfunctioning as a cargo cabin is divided by a plurality of horizontalpartitions, and said elevator comprises: a driving device to drive saidelevator and a gear to be driven by said driving device; and a guiderail to guide said elevator, and racks provided on said guide rail andinterlocked with said gears, which are stored in said partition and comeout in vertical direction before said elevator is activated.
 9. Anaircraft according to claim 1, wherein a galley service space isprovided in said second cabin used as a passenger cabin, and saidelevator conveys a wagon container filled with wagon cargos between saidgalley service space and said first cabin, thereby said wagon cargos aremoved in and out from said wagon container in said galley service space,and said wagon container is conveyed between the exterior of saidaircraft and said galley service space.
 10. A method of loading cargosinto an airplane with multi-level cabins for cargos or passengers,comprising steps of: providing an elevator for loading cargos between afirst cabin and a second cabin, said first cabin provided with a cargohatchway which is opened and closed by a cargo door on a fuselage, saidcargo door facing towards said cargo cabin, and said second cabin whichlacks said cargo hatchway, said second cabin being positioned directlyabove or under said first cabin; moving said cargos into said firstcabin through said cargo hatchway; moving said cargo moved through saidcargo hatchway on a cargo stage of said elevator which moves in avertical direction; and driving said elevator to the same level as saidsecond cabin in order to move said cargo in said second cabin.